We lead the league in take aways but the defense sux? We lead the league in take aways but our defensive players are not good? Mayo is "not that good"? DMC is a bust? LB core can't cover? D-Line is soft? CB's are terrible?

I'm not sure what makes a good defense anymore? I guess to a few of you it is yards given up?

Coach Belichick sounds like he recognizes what is important to a good defense. points allowed and turnovers. PPG we are 15th. Surely room to improve as we have been doing. Turnovers we are 1st. For a team this young(2nd youngest in LG) to be this good at forcing turnovers, I say we are in pretty good shape. Only getting better, as BB's defense's always do.

And for those of you that will say, yeah but what happens when we don't get the turnovers in the post season, I say no problem because we now have an offense that will run the ball and keep other good offense's off the field. Something we have not had in too long. We also lead the lg in turnover differential. A direct result of a better balanced offense imo.

Q: How much of a game changer can it be when your defense forces a turnover and the offense is able to turn it into points?

BB: I think last night is the âExhibit Aâ on how quickly the game can change. Turnovers are a huge part of the game and other than points, theyâre probably statistically the highest correlation to winning. We had a lot of turnovers earlier in the year and we didnât get enough point production out of those turnovers. A lot of times, weâd turn the ball over and end up leaving with not many points. So even though we had a turnover differential advantage, that didnât really translate into a big point advantage with those turnovers. The past few weeks, that number has changed more in our favor where the turnovers have been converted into points and in a lot of cases, touchdowns. We all saw how quickly that a very competitive game last night, that was a scoreless tie, a battle back and forth, then all the sudden itâs 35 points up there. But thatâs what happens. A big play, a turnover, score, another turnover, another big play and when you get all those yards in one play, whether itâs on a big play or a turnover, then thatâs what defines explosive plays. It certainly changes the whole dynamic of the game even though a 14-play, 80-yard drive that takes seven and half minutes, you get the same amount of points and all that, but it takes longer and doesnât change the game as quickly obviously. You have to take advantage of those opportunities, to turn them into points, whether itâs Julianâs [Edelman] return or Steveâs [Gregory] return or like we had in the Indianapolis game, the strip sack and then the pass to [Rob] Gronkowski from the 20-yard line or whatever it was. When it happens that fast, it really can swing the momentum in a hurry.

Q: Can you feel things feeding off each other when that happens or are they isolated?

BB: I think those plays always energize you a little bit. But we really try to do that on every play, believe it or not. You go down there on the kickoff team, weâre always thinking about making a big play, tackling them inside the 20, knocking the ball loose. We go out there on the punt return or kickoff return team and weâre always thinking about taking it to the house; trying to execute the play properly, whether itâs blocking a punt or a returning a kick, whatever it happens to be, that that play is going to end up in the end zone for us. The same thing on a lot of plays offensively or defensively that weâre trying to get turnovers, weâre trying to make big plays, score on long runs or long passes. That doesnât always mean throw the ball 90 yards down the field, it can also be catch and run plays or hit a seam in the running game and block a defensive back, break a tackle and go. Weâre always thinking about those plays. Obviously youâre lucky if you get a couple of them a game, but I think the positive attitude and the understanding of the concept of everybody getting their man or everybody doing the right thing, to be able to kick the ball off the quarterback or disrupt the passing game so we can get our hands on the ball and intercept it or return a kick or a make a big play off it, those things are always in the back of your mind on every play.

Q: Have the turnovers been instinctive or have they been because of preparation, like Steve Gregoryâs interception, for example?

BB: I think preparation is a big part of it, especially on a play like that. Steve is a very astute player, experienced and again, intelligent to pick up little things, little tips and keys. He does a good job of reading the quarterback and is able to use his experience on a play like that, to see the route develop, anticipate it and then most importantly pull the trigger and react to it quickly so that he could make the play. I think if he had hesitated a little bit or not gotten quite that good a jump on the ball, he would have gotten there just in time to break it up or make the tackle. It was that extra jump on it, that split second explosion and ability to attack the play that turned it into a turnover. Defensively plays like the [Mark] Sanchez fumble, we didnât really have a lot to do with that play, that was more a mistake on their part than it was a great defensive play but we were able to capitalize on it, take advantage of it. Of course, weâve all seen those plays this year and in other years, whether it be our team or another team, where a guy drops an interception or a guy has a chance to recover a fumble and it somehow squirts out and the team that should get it doesnât get it. Some of that is creating opportunities and some of that is capitalizing on opportunities when theyâre there. Usually over the course of a game, youâre going to get a couple opportunities to take the ball away somewhere along the line, defensively or in the kicking game and you have to be alert enough to capitalize on having everyone hustle and being alert, reacting to them quickly, those are the ones you usually get. A lot of times you get those opportunities and you donât capitalize on them because youâre just not alert enough, youâre just not reacting quickly enough, you just donât have that same split second different in energy and anticipation and reaction that makes the difference. So, the more alert you are, the more effort youâre giving, the faster you are to the ball, the more of those good things usually happen.

truechamp, BB just invested nearly his entire draft on D and traded for a bad boy DB just a couple of weeks ago

That's not the sign of a coach who thinks his D is just fine and dandy.

And all the defensive measurables combine to define the defense. Not just the two they happen to be respectable at.

People crow about the turnovers they get as an indicator of being good, yet when they get none in the SB they remain silent. It's called spin when you do that, and the spin is continuous around here. It stems from trying to protect sacred cows. I prefer to delve into the reality of the situation.

It's true whoever said that the Patriots are the most hated team out of town. I live out of the area too and it s--cks going to sports bars. Any play that goes against the Patriots has everyone but Patriots fans on their feet screaming and cheering. It's just jealousy, the Patriots are the most dominant team in sports over the past 12 years. For that reason they hate BB too.

It's true whoever said that the Patriots are the most hated team out of town. I live out of the area too and it s--cks going to sports bars. Any play that goes against the Patriots has everyone but Patriots fans on their feet screaming and cheering. It's just jealousy, the Patriots are the most dominant team in sports over the past 12 years. For that reason they hate BB too.

We're going all the way this year boys!

It's not just jealousy. It's as well, spygate, Brady's modeling fetish, BB's abysmal media skills and far far too many anal homer fans that overrate player after player on our team yet underrate player after player on other teams.

It's true whoever said that the Patriots are the most hated team out of town. I live out of the area too and it s--cks going to sports bars. Any play that goes against the Patriots has everyone but Patriots fans on their feet screaming and cheering. It's just jealousy, the Patriots are the most dominant team in sports over the past 12 years. For that reason they hate BB too.

We're going all the way this year boys!

It's not just jealousy. It's as well, spygate, Brady's modeling fetish, BB's abysmal media skills and far far too many anal homer fans that overrate player after player on our team yet underrate player after player on other teams.

In your opinion it is abysmal. Imo, he plays the media for a bunch of story hungry scavengers who only want to twist a mans words and exploit him in order to garner attention.

I for one have no problem with how Bill Belichick sacrifices his "look" to the nation in order to try and give his team the competetive edge. I think it is truly remarkable how he puts his team first every single time.

It's true whoever said that the Patriots are the most hated team out of town. I live out of the area too and it s--cks going to sports bars. Any play that goes against the Patriots has everyone but Patriots fans on their feet screaming and cheering. It's just jealousy, the Patriots are the most dominant team in sports over the past 12 years. For that reason they hate BB too.

We're going all the way this year boys!

It's not just jealousy. It's as well, spygate, Brady's modeling fetish, BB's abysmal media skills and far far too many anal homer fans that overrate player after player on our team yet underrate player after player on other teams.

In your opinion it is abysmal. Imo, he plays the media for a bunch of story hungry scavengers who only want to twist a mans words and exploit him in order to garner attention.

I for one have no problem with how Bill Belichick sacrifices his "look" to the nation in order to try and give his team the competetive edge. I think it is truly remarkable how he puts his team first every single time.

Most coaches have too much of an ego to do this.

I say his lack of willingness to placate rather than antagonize the media contributes significantly to why the team is hated. I'll stand by that as more than just an opinion.

It really is just common sense that if you treat people with distain for no reason they won't like you or your endeavors.

I really don't see his point in sneering at them. I cannot think of a single positive thing that garners. They aren't too hard to schmooze into a purring kitten of good press. Unlike some, I praise when a good thing is being done, and criticize when it isn't.

Antagonizing the media is just plain stupid, just like spygate was stupid.

Babe and his Brady Ballwashing Bandits took the media bait and now have egg all over their faces. The fact they don't know why BB keeps an even keel in the media shows us more how clueless they are.

Forever the oblivious tool that you are, you can't even address the question at hand.

The question is why our team is hated. BB's dysfunctional handling of the media is one of the reasons. I really don't care if he perps his petty little vendetta against them or not. It's clearly stupid to do, but whether other fans like the Pats or not is low on my list of priorities. But his refusal to not be anal with the press IS a reason the team is hated.

I say they're jealous because we win so much. If the Patriots were average nobody would care. Either way my point is that the Patriots are the most hated team in out of town sports bars. Draw your own conclusions why.

Babe and his Brady Ballwashing Bandits took the media bait and now have egg all over their faces. The fact they don't know why BB keeps an even keel in the media shows us more how clueless they are.

Forever the oblivious tool that you are, you can't even address the question at hand.

The question is why our team is hated. BB's dysfunctional handling of the media is one of the reasons. I really don't care if he perps his petty little vendetta against them or not. It's clearly stupid to do, but whether other fans like the Pats or not is low on my list of priorities. But his refusal to not be anal with the press IS a reason the team is hated.

Babe, since you mention BB's handling of the media, you obviously DO CARE! Are you really Breer? As for calling someone a tool, I think someone that is constantly calling the glass three quarters emptywhen it is really three quarters full is rather toolish. So is having an anti-Pats slat to everything you post . You never, ever, have anything good to say about the Pats unless you are called out about it.

It's true whoever said that the Patriots are the most hated team out of town. I live out of the area too and it s--cks going to sports bars. Any play that goes against the Patriots has everyone but Patriots fans on their feet screaming and cheering. It's just jealousy, the Patriots are the most dominant team in sports over the past 12 years. For that reason they hate BB too.

We're going all the way this year boys!

It's not just jealousy. It's as well, spygate, Brady's modeling fetish, BB's abysmal media skills and far far too many anal homer fans that overrate player after player on our team yet underrate player after player on other teams.

In your opinion it is abysmal. Imo, he plays the media for a bunch of story hungry scavengers who only want to twist a mans words and exploit him in order to garner attention.

I for one have no problem with how Bill Belichick sacrifices his "look" to the nation in order to try and give his team the competetive edge. I think it is truly remarkable how he puts his team first every single time.

Most coaches have too much of an ego to do this.

^this

When the press run Princess Diana off the road or publish salacious material on somebody famous that turns out to be not so true, the press gets lambasted as a bunch of leaches, but our own "fans" want Belichick to "placate" members of the press who would print info that would give our opponents a competitive edge? F them, it's the press job to find info out one way or another, not BB's job to give them anything but what he has to.

If you want sound bytes go interview Rex Ryan, if you want results here's Belichick. People hate NE because of their overwhelming success, for no other reason, unless of course they are members of the press corps themselves... which brings us back to our longstanding notion that some posters here are in fact members of the BDC staff?

It's true whoever said that the Patriots are the most hated team out of town. I live out of the area too and it s--cks going to sports bars. Any play that goes against the Patriots has everyone but Patriots fans on their feet screaming and cheering. It's just jealousy, the Patriots are the most dominant team in sports over the past 12 years. For that reason they hate BB too.

We're going all the way this year boys!

It's not just jealousy. It's as well, spygate, Brady's modeling fetish, BB's abysmal media skills and far far too many anal homer fans that overrate player after player on our team yet underrate player after player on other teams.

In your opinion it is abysmal. Imo, he plays the media for a bunch of story hungry scavengers who only want to twist a mans words and exploit him in order to garner attention.

I for one have no problem with how Bill Belichick sacrifices his "look" to the nation in order to try and give his team the competetive edge. I think it is truly remarkable how he puts his team first every single time.

Most coaches have too much of an ego to do this.

^this

When the press run Princess Diana off the road or publish salacious material on somebody famous that turns out to be not so true, the press gets lambasted as a bunch of leaches, but our own "fans" want Belichick to "placate" members of the press who would print info that would give our opponents a competitive edge? F them, it's the press job to find info out one way or another, not BB's job to give them anything but what he has to.

If you want sound bytes go interview Rex Ryan, if you want results here's Belichick. People hate NE because of their overwhelming success, for no other reason, unless of course they are members of the press corps themselves... which brings us back to our longstanding notion that some posters here are in fact members of the BDC staff?

Babe?

Well Dottie is certainly not a staff member or something would have been done here. Maybe Prolate is Doug Flutie. After all flutie does have a nice place on Lake of the Woods.

Do you ever get tired of being wrong? Rex has failed because he has failed to win. He certainly hasn't failed because of how he "handles the media". He is a media feast for them. You are thick as a brick.

No one really cares what an NFL coach's image is unless you're a 12 year old girl and need the smiley Pete Carroll type to reassure yourself. lmao

Of course fans care about a HC's image. BB has created the image of a heartless conniving cheater in much of the NFL world. There is no way that doesn't affect the opinion of the team among the drama queens that are NFL fans.

Just curious, why does any Patriot fan care about how the coach/GM is perceived by fans of other teams or by the media? Or for that matter, how the team is perceived? Why does it even enter into anybody's thought process? How does it possibly matter?

To the extent the team and/or its coach/GM are disliked/hated/despised is because they've been so successful. No other reason. People want to see those who are more successful than they are fail. Makes them feel better about themselves. It's why people reveled in the downfall of guys like Tiger Woods and Barry Bonds. Media members are no different, they love failure.

Personally, I'd much prefer to be hated than to be irrelevant. Ask a Browns fan if they'd mind it if fans of other teams and the media hated their team because they were incredibly successful.

Babe and his Brady Ballwashing Bandits took the media bait and now have egg all over their faces. The fact they don't know why BB keeps an even keel in the media shows us more how clueless they are.

Forever the oblivious tool that you are, you can't even address the question at hand.

The question is why our team is hated. BB's dysfunctional handling of the media is one of the reasons. I really don't care if he perps his petty little vendetta against them or not. It's clearly stupid to do, but whether other fans like the Pats or not is low on my list of priorities. But his refusal to not be anal with the press IS a reason the team is hated.

Babe, since you mention BB's handling of the media, you obviously DO CARE! Are you really Breer? As for calling someone a tool, I think someone that is constantly calling the glass three quarters emptywhen it is really three quarters full is rather toolish. So is having an anti-Pats slat to everything you post . You never, ever, have anything good to say about the Pats unless you are called out about it.

You act as if I say we have a bad team or something.

I call it as it is. Unlike may, who overrate certain persons based on rooting for them rather what facts show they actually accomplish.

I applaud guys like Wilfork, Brady, Welker, Gronk, Mayo, Hernandez and BB as a HC. I've defended guys like Mayo and BB as a HC. I have said McCourty is looking better at safety than he did at CB; because he is.

I say spygate was stuipd, Kraft says BB was a putz; I don't see a big difference there.

I point out the massive draft pick investment on D as a fail when considering the result of one of the worst pass defenses in the league.

It's called trying to be honest. You should try it sometime. You might just like it.

Just curious, why does any Patriot fan care about how the coach/GM is perceived by fans of other teams or by the media? Or for that matter, how the team is perceived? Why does it even enter into anybody's thought process? How does it possibly matter?

To the extent the team and/or its coach/GM are disliked/hated/despised is because they've been so successful. No other reason. People want to see those who are more successful than they are fail. Makes them feel better about themselves. It's why people reveled in the downfall of guys like Tiger Woods and Barry Bonds. Media members are no different, they love failure.

Personally, I'd much prefer to be hated than to be irrelevant. Ask a Browns fan if they'd mind it if fans of other teams and the media hated their team because they were incredibly successful.

I think the point was that we are hated far more than other successful teams muz.

One would think if fans didn't care and had a few factors pointed out to show why that inordinate amount of hate was there, they would not so vehemently protest it and cling to the "we are successful" life preserver as the only reason.

For instance, does anybody actually dispute (right or wrong) that spygate has caused a large number of NFL fans to view the Pats in a more negative light?

I think the point was that we are hated far more than other successful teams muz.

One would think if fans didn't care and had a few factors pointed out to show why that inordinate amount of hate was there, they would not so vehemently protest it and cling to the "we are successful" life preserver as the only reason.

For instance, does anybody actually dispute (right or wrong) that spygate has caused a large number of NFL fans to view the Pats in a more negative light?

To do so is simply the grandest form of delusion.

Well, I completely agree that fans of other teams despise the Pats for whatever reason, BB's demeanor included. Some will latch onto spygate as a justification for their hatred, just like those who hated George Bush would always bring up WMDs to justify why he was a bad guy, or why Clinton haters will bring up Lewinski. But they'd hate them even if those things never happened. They'd just latch onto something else.

If the Patriots were a lousy team, a non-contender, would they be hated? Nobody would care enough to invest the energy to hate them, they wouldn't get any attention. They'd be the Browns. Nobody (besides maybe Pittsburgh fans) cares enough to hate the Browns.

So the Patriots are only hated because of their success. And things like spygate and BB's demeanor just give fuel to the hatred, they don't cause it. The cause is their won-loss record.